Mariska and Rika - owners of eXplore Plus Travel
eXplore Plus Travel & Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Tony Gibbs | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
70 th Birthday Egyptian Tour
This was our second experience of travelling with ExplorePlus Tours after Serengeti two years ago. The didn't disappoint us with this tour. It was fantastic. Arrangements were superb. The accommodation was excellent, especially on the Nile cruise and the last night next to the Nile. The organisation from Mariska to Adel and Ramis was first class with no hiccups. Mariska was a star with her sparkling character and organisation. Adel with his amazing knowledge of Egypt and heiroglyphics was the best story teller and source of information. He always had a sparkle in his eye, a super person. Ramis was an organiser extraordinaire. The tour was very well arranged to ensure a great experience and understanding of Egypt and it's ancient civilisation. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in visiting Egypt. The small group format was perfect. Thanks to all involved from ExplorePlus.
Email Toni | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional
Tour professionally conducted, accommodation excellent, tips etc all taken care of, transport reliable & clean. There was a qualified Egyptiantologist which made all the difference. He was a pleasant & accommodating young man with a professional outlook. I was just not prepared for the large crowds. Something I personally had to overcome but unavoidable due to the location of the tour.
Email Jeanine Walch-Frasco | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous Itinerary, wonderful accommodation, best value and best tour guides for Egypt Tour 2026.
Apart from Egypt Air, the entire experience with eXplore Plus Travel Agency has been Fabulous. I Highly recommend their Egypt tour which includes a four night cruise down the Nile. I expected to see the Pyramids, Sphinx and learn more about Cleopatra and Thutankamun. Well, that was just the tip of the historical facts, incredible temples, tombs, hieroglyphics and artefacts we were expos4ed to. We were looked after by a wonderful team of people. We were privileged to be lead through all the fascinating information by a very knowledgeable and informative young man. I can truly say this was the most amazing trip I have experienced. Even after China, Japan, States and Europe. A Must for the Bucket List.
I highly recommend eXplore Plus Travel.
Email Jillian Bredenkamp | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent organization and communication.
The tour was Excellent value for money; All accommodation, food, drinks, drives, 3 boat trips, 2 Mokoro trips
We were well organised throughout the trip.
Our first lodge (Little Sable) was excellent. They did not deviate from the African safari theme, the food was wholesome and the staff were amazing. The tents had every practical thing that was needed plus a bit of "bush chic".
The 2nd Lodge (Mbamba) was rediculous. The decor was hideously out of place and impractical. It resulted in the tents being filled with silly brass ornaments and persian carpets but lacking many practical things. (lighting was impossibly dark, beds impossibly high, towels like dish cloths, no coat hangers or hooks to hang things, mirrors at the dressing table for dwarfs, no umbrellas etc etc. Each day there were hoots of laughter at the silliness of the decor.
Fortunately the setting was superb, and the staff were good. But I would not book again if Mbamba were on the itinerary. Totally out of character with the magnificent African Delta.
Email Janet | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Accommodating and efficient
All round it was an excellent trip. The camp was very nice and much nicer than the camp we stayed at last year. The food selection was adequate and to a very high standard and maintenance of the camp and our tents was impeccable. We had excellent guide but unfortunately we had the most inclement weather that the Okavango Delta has seen in such a long time, the water level was so high that game viewing was sparse at best game sightings were very disappointing. As with all bush trips you never know what you’re going to get so we made the most of it ! We had a wonderful guide who tried his absolute best to track possible sightings. But all in all a really enjoyable trip very well organised and very well priced.
Email Irene | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
She is caring, enthusiastic, helpful, knowledgeable, reliable and trustworthy. Great to work with.
Tour was well planned. Detail was given and we felt relaxed.
On arrival at Kasane Airport our driver welcomed us and took us to the Elephant Valley lodge where we were welcomed by the friendly and well-trained local staff.
The accommodation in a bedroom tent with own bathroom was a first for us but nevertheless quite acceptable and comfortable.
The bird guide/driver allocated to us was very well informed and helpful and took great care to keep us happy. We were happy with the number of birds we saw.
The outside lounge and dining area of the lodge under huge trees add greatly to the special atmosphere as birds and wildlife can be seen at the waterhole.
Evening meals by lantern and a boma fire add to a great experience.
Meals were well prepared and very tasty. Once again well- trained and friendly staff are a pleasure.
Breakfast and lunch were great as well.
We can recommend our travel operator for organizing this special vacation for us as she understood what we were hoping for.
Email Jocelyn Sutherland | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Highly professional organisation who know their product exceptionally well .
My partner and I recently travelled to the Okavango Delta, this being my 11th tour booked through eXplore Plus, and they never disappoint. We feel like Rika, Mariska and their team are family who have our personal interests at heart. The lodges they use, the staff in those lodges and the guides they use are excellent . To my mind they are the "go to" agents to use for travel in Africa for service and value for money.
Email Jan and Erika | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best we have ever worked with. Bianca was our contact person and was excellent, 100%
From introduction on day one, whole process throughout and personally seeing us off at the airport, it was professional and efficient.
Our first visit to the Okavango Delta was a once in a lifetime experience allthough we think we need to visit it again, as 6 days are too short to grasp the greatness and beauty of the Delta. Thank you eXplore Plus, we'll make use of you again
Email Linda Joubert | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Tour company that ticks all the boxes with arrangements, affordability and service
We were once again very impressed by the safari which was arranged on our behalf by
exPlore Plus. This is the fourth safari that we have encountered with exPlore Plus, and was once again highly impressed with the lodges as well as the transfers between the lodges. We were fortunate to experience very high levels of water in the Okavango Delta, which kept us on our toes!!! Mbamba lodge has very interesting decor, together with wonderful artifacts from years gone by, for you to explore. At Little Sable, we were serenaded most evenings by lion roars, and hyenas which came to visit!!! The meals which we enjoyed were of a very high quality and interesting. It is a pleasure to be in the bush surroundings with small groups of people.
Well done once again ExPlore Plus!!
Jan, Linda and Jaco
Email Erika | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
efficient, well informed, attention to detail, friendly excellent customer care, reliable
We visited Kenya and Tanzania 18- 26 February 2026. The beginning of their wet season. Our journey started in Nairobi sleeping the first night in the 5 star, opulent and beautiful Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel overlooking the Nairobi National Park. The friendly Felix of the Predators Safari Club took is to the Wilson airport the next day. He explained everything to us and made sure that we got on the plane to the Masai Mara.
We stayed for 3 nights in the beautiful Govenor's Camp on the banks of the Mara river. We were totally overwhelmed by the hospitality, friendliness and comfort of the camp. We were spoiled with the most exquisite food. Each safari was very special with many sightings of lion, cheetah, elephants, hyena, birds etc. The camp is unfenced and we were spoiled with visits from elephants, warthogs, hippo and a variety of birds. Game rangers were on duty 24 hours per day to keep everyone safe.
Our last leg of our trip were in the Southern Serengeti. We stayed in the Lemala Ndutu Tented Camp. We stayed in one of the 8 spacious well fitted tents with a flush toilet, shower, electricity, etc. What makes this remarkable is that this whole camp will be dismantled and moved north for the migration! This camp was also unfenced with wildlife walking freely through it and with game rangers protecting the guests. We were again spoiled with good food and warm hospitality. The safari's each day were full of exciting sightings from : hundreds of wildebeest and their calves, zebra, lion, leopard, cheetah, birds, etc. Our safari guide was very resourceful and helped us to understand everything about the migration phenomenon.
The Predators Safari Club helped us to get our flight to Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Nairobi airports. On route we had a delicious lunch at the Arusha Coffee Lodge.
We are grateful for Explore Plus ( Naomi and her team) and the Predators Safari Club whom made this an unforgettable experience and holiday. Their friendliness, planning, logistic arrangements, helpful information and attention to detail are to be recommended. This was really an uplifting and memorable experience. Thank You!